Deans/Provost Office one-on-one meetings with Department Chairs and Program Directors to share findings and discuss potential recommendations—all Chairs and Directors were provided multiple opportunities to submit their own recommendations to the Dean for improvement

Professional Opportunities Inventory/Occupational Growth Analysis.

Academic program demand study

Review of the academic structure and offerings of UDC competitor institutions

University expenditure and revenue forecasts for the foreseeable future

Overview of results

Too many programs with too few students, lack of currency, low student demand and enrollment potential, and poor alignment with job opportunities.

Broad areas for priority investment: Business, STEM, Health Professions, Human Development and Services, and the Center for Urban Education.

Significant status changes for 18 degree programs.

Creation of minors and concentrations in areas of high student demand and occupational growth within almost all majors.

Opportunities for greater efficiency and collaboration through cross-school, interdisciplinary, joint and accelerated degree programs and offerings.

Need to use clear, commonly understood program identifiers to reach prospective students.

Flagship programs for new investment (track record of success and/or areas of high student demand and occupational growth in the Capital Region.)

Accounting

Allied Health Professions/Community Health

Applied Statistics (M)

Architecture (BS/MS)

Biology

Business Management (BA/MBA)

Center for Urban Education (M)

Chemistry

Civil Engineering

Communications (Mass Media Arts)

Community Health initiative

Criminal Justice (Administration of Justice)

Government (Political Science)

Human Development

Information Technology

Psychology

Counseling (M)

Social Work

Sociology

Speech and Language Pathology (M)

World Languages initiative

Program Status Changes (Programs lacking evidence of viability or currency; consistent record of low enrollments, retention, and/or graduation performance; and/or do not provide the appropriate credentialing required for the labor market are recommended for reconstitution to improve academic quality and prioritize limited resources. In some cases, programs are recommended for discontinuation)

Clinical Psychology (M)

Replaced by Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling programs

Early Childhood Education (BA)

Offered as concentration within Human Development

Elementary Education

Offered as Masters in Teaching within Center for Urban Education, and related undergraduate content offered within Human Development

English Composition and Rhetoric (M) - Discontinued

French

Courses offered in new World Languages Program

Graphic Communications

Offered as Graphic Production concentration within Graphic Design

Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program

Moving to graduate level and integrated with Masters in Public Administration program

Mathematics (MST)

Replaced by Applied Statistics masters program and M.A.T. in Urban Education

Physics

Offered as a Minor

Procurement and Public Contracting

Offered as a certificate program and concentration within Management

Respiratory Therapy (BA)

Courses offered in Nursing and in new Community Health initiative

Security Studies (B.A.)

Suspended until curriculum revised to meet online quality standards

Spanish

Offered as a Minor in new World Languages Program

Special Education (BA)

Offered as Masters within Center for Urban Education; related undergraduate content offered within Human Development

Special Education (M)

Suspended until curriculum revised, in collaboration with DCPS Superintendent, and offered within Center for Urban Education

Speech and Language Pathology (BS)

Offered as concentration within Human Development

Theater

Offered as a Minor in Visual and Performing Arts

Urban Studies

Sociology courses to include more modern urban focus

Structural and Curricular Redesign (comprehensive effort to restructure and strengthen all programs to ensure currency, high-quality, and consistency with student demand and occupational opportunities/competency requirements)

Reorganize departments and programs to promote intellectual collaborations and synergies.

Develop Minors and Concentrations that reflect student and employer demand.

Develop an Interdisciplinary Studies degree.

Develop accelerated and joint degrees that increase student enrollments and strengthen career pathways while saving students time and money.

Reorganizations and Name Changes (Restructure departments to promote efficiencies and visibility of high demand programs; align names with student interests, current trends in the field, and occupational growth areas.)

Reorganize Business School Departments and names to group similar programs and promote visibility of high demand areas:

Streamline Arts and Sciences departments so no department has excessive numbers of programs; reorganize and rename departments to promote visibility of highest demand programs:

From existing Department of Mass Media, Visual and Performing Arts, create Department of Communications and Public Relations and separate Department of Visual and Performing Arts

From existing Departments of Language and Communication Disorders; English; and Psychology and Counseling; create Department of English and World Languages and separate Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Human Development

From Department of Urban Affairs, Social Sciences, and Social Work, create Department of History, Government, and Global Studies and a Department of Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Social Work;

Rename existing Department of Nursing and Allied Health as Department of Nursing and Health Professions

Rename existing Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Departments of Chemistry and Physics as Department of Biology and Chemistry

Rename existing Department of Mathematics as Department of Mathematics and Applied Statistics

After conducting reviews of all UDC baccalaureate and graduate programs, a regional academic program demand study, and a professional opportunities inventory/jobs analysis, we have recommended changes in 18 major degree programs – along with other structural and organizational changes.

Reasons: no evidence of program viability (demand) or currency; record of low enrollments, retention, and/or graduation rates; failure to provide the appropriate credentialing required for labor market; or other indicators of poor quality.

In all but three cases, the programs are being consolidated or otherwise reconstituted as minors, concentrations, or course sequences within broader major fields. (If the programs thrive, if demand, enrollments and graduation rates rise, they may later evolve into major degree programs.)

Example: within a new “World Languages” program, a Spanish minor as well as French language courses will be offered, along with Chinese and Arabic. (So, there will in fact be enriched foreign language offerings at UDC next year.)

This kind of consolidation is going on across the country. Healthy institutions change, grow, move in new directions, in response to limited resources and the changing demands and needs of society. Howard University has discontinued 70 programs.

Availability of University academic support services and tutoring to community college students

These resources have always been available to community college students, particularly those who are taking courses at the Van Ness campus, as a matter of explicit policy.

The director of the Academic Support Center works closely with the leader of the community college’s Success Team. (The community college staff has expressed a strong preference that community college students work with their Success Team advisors.)

When there was a misunderstanding last fall, the community college leadership was made aware, in writing, that this was the policy and the case. Perhaps this message was not communicated to the student who testified.

Easier for community college students to enroll in courses at other Universities in town than at UDC…

Just factually not accurate.

As you know, there is a substantial differential between community college and University tuition and fee charges. Last year we found that over 100 community college students were enrolled in University courses for which they (at that time) paid only community college rates. Some of these students needed the University course to complete requirements. In order to address, we blocked universal CC access to University courses and established an exception procedure for the students who needed the courses to fulfill requirements. They could contact their Success Team member who could contact the dean of the school in question and gain permission to enroll in the particular course.

The process to enroll in courses at other Consortium universities in the region is more onerous as each student’s eligibility to do so must be reviewed and confirmed by the Registrar’s Office. It is outlined in the class schedule.

Disruption in all aspects of services and operations at CCDC….

They should speak to the leadership of the community college regarding this matter as they are the people responsible “on the ground” for solving problems.

Problems in transferring credits…

Would have to know the specifics of this complaint. If this student is a community college student wishing to enter a UDC baccalaureate program, there is no issue of “transfer” as he is already a UDC student earning UDC credits towards a UDC degree..

As the only urban land-grant institution in the United States, the University of the District of Columbia (www.udc.edu) supports a broad mission of education, research and community service across all member colleges and schools, which include the Community College, College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, College Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Public Administration, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and David A. Clarke School of Law.

The University of the District of Columbia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For a full version of the University’s EO Policy Statement, please visit: http://www.udc.edu/equal_opportunity.

The University of the District of Columbia is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education - 3624 Market Street - Philadelphia, PA 19104 - 267.284.5000

Contact:

Alan Etter, Vice President of University Relations & Public Affairs, aetter@udc.edu, 202.345.6371